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Tribe of Rushing Water (modern)
Introduction The Tribe of Rushing Water is the equivalent of a Clan, and resides in a mountainous area, most notably the "Cave of Rushing Water", a large cave hiddden behind a waterfall. Their beliefs are similar to the beliefs of the forest Clans, but are not exactly alike. Their equivalent of the Moonstone and the Moonpool, Cave of the Pointed Stones, is where they go to commune with the Tribe's ancestors, the Tribe of Endless Hunting. They are smaller and leaner than Clan cats, and smear their fur with mud to camoflage with the rocks. Their camp is located at the end of a rocky path that leads behind the waterfall, screening them from the outside. The cave, which burrows under the mountain, is as wide as the waterfall, and has narrow passages that lead off on either side. One passage goes to the Cave of the Pointed Stones, and the other goes to the nursery. On either side of the cave floor, there are indentions, padded with eagle or heron feathers, that the tribe cats sleep in. Instead of having a leader and a medicine cat, the Tribe's substitution is a Tribe healer, who serves as both a leader and a medicine cat, and who is the only one who can actually communicate with the Tribe of Endless Hunting. The Tribe's society is structured in a society in which prey-hunters catch prey, and cave-guards defend the cave in which the Tribe resides. Jobs are assigned from birth. Tribe cats also have their own special way of hunting. They find some prey (i.e. a mouse), sit in a hiding place, and wait until they see an eagle attack the prey. They then attack and kill the eagle, getting both pieces of prey. The six questing Clan cats learned this technique to some extent, most notably Stormfur. They have no scent markers bordering their territory, because no other cat would want their harsh hunting grounds. During the Great Journey, the Clans sheltered under a tree that hung over a rock like a claw, which the tribe cats know of as "Treerock". Tribe Structure The Tribe is quite different from the Clans, in more than just territory and look. Tribe Members Cats of the Tribe are divided into five catagories. Leader In the Tribe, the leader is called a healer. Not only does the healer lead the Tribe, he or she also uses healing herbs to cure wounds and sickness. They also interpret the signs of rock, leaf, and water to read messages from the Tribe of Endless Hunting. Cave-Guards Cave-guards are thickset, strong, and big. They are the main fighting force of the Tribe and have the responsibility of defending the cave from predators. They also accompany the prey-hunters on hunting missions to watch out for eagles. Prey-Hunters Prey-hunters are light, slim, and fast. They are the hunters of the Tribe, using stealth and surprise to catch their food. A special technique of theirs is to spy on a small prey, like a mouse, until an eagle comes down to get it. They can then leap on the eagle and kill it, thus delivering two pieces of prey for the Tribe. Kit-Mothers These are the equivalent of queens, and care for the kits until they are old enough to become to-bes. To-Bes To-bes are young cats in training. At their birth, it is foretold if they will be a prey-hunter or cave-guard. Kits that seem fast and lithe are prey-hunters; kits that look strong will be cave-guards. Once this occurs, they cannot turn to another path, and train to be whatever the healer said they would. See Also Sharptooth, the mountain cat that terrorized the tribe cats until Feathertail killed it, sacrificing herself in the process. A List of All Tribe Cats General Tribe Information, the customs and ways of life of all tribe cats.